NASA prepares for first helicopter flight test on Mars

NASA prepares for first helicopter flight test on Mars

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The US space agency’s explorer, Perseverance, arrived on Mars on 18 February with important equipment.

NASA’s Perseverance has carried an experimental aircraft called Ingenuity, which will have its first test flight this week. NASA hopes to make the helicopter the first vehicle to fly on a planet other than Earth.

NASA recently announced that Ingenuity has been safely lowered to the surface of Mars from its storage site under perseverance. The explorer, or rover, then moved about five meters from Ingenuity. The rover and plane communicate through radios.

After separating the helicopter from the rover, he faced his first important test on Mars and protected himself from the icy temperature of the planet. Measurements of instruments on Perseverance from early April showed that low temperatures in the landing area, Jezero crater, reached minus 83 degrees Celsius.

This illustration shows the Jezero crater - the landing site of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover - as it may have looked billions of years ago on Mars, when it was a lake. An inlet and outlet are visible on both sides of the lake. (Image credit: NASA / JPL)

This illustration shows the Jezero crater – the landing site of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover – as it may have looked billions of years ago on Mars, when it was a lake. An inlet and outlet are visible on both sides of the lake. (Image credit: NASA / JPL)

In a statement, NASA said Ingenuity had passed the test by surviving its first night alone in the extreme cold. The helicopter powered its own solar power battery to use a heater to protect the electrical equipment from damage.

The space agency praised the success as a major milestoneFor the experimental aircraft.

MiMi Aung is Ingenuity’s project leader at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She said that although her team did everything in its power to prepare the helicopter, the group was very excited to see the results of their work on Mars.

‘We now have the confirmation that we have the right isolation, the right heaters, and enough energy in his battery to survive the cold night, which is a big win for the team, ”said Aung. “We are excited to continue preparing Ingenuity for its first flight test.”

In this December 17, 2019 file photo made available by NASA, engineers monitor a driving test for the Mars Rover Perseverance in a clean room at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California (J. Krohn / NASA via AP, File)

In this December 17, 2019 file photo made available by NASA, engineers monitor a driving test for the Mars Rover Perseverance in a clean room at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California (J. Krohn / NASA via AP, File)

The next set of tests involves the aircraft’s cars and rotor equipment. The helicopter will be the first aircraft to undertake a controlled, controlled flight on another planet.

NASA compared Ingenuity’s attempt to the Wright Brothers’ first flight of a motor-powered aircraft near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903. In recognition of the historic flight, a small piece of cloth bearing a wing of the Wright Brothers was used. plane covered. attached to the helicopter for its first flight on Mars.

The main purpose of the Perseverance Rover is to search for signs of microbes life from the planet’s ancient past. The explorer is expected to collect rock and soil material from the surface. They will be sent to earth by the future mission on Mars.

During its first test, Ingenuity will try to rise about three meters from the surface. It will try to move forward briefly in the extremely thin atmosphere of the planet. Then the plane will try to turn around and complete a soft landing.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter can be seen here with all four of its legs deployed before falling from the belly of the Perseverance Rover on March 30, 2021, the 39th day of Mars, or sol, of the mission. (Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS)

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter can be seen here with all four of its legs deployed before falling from the belly of the Perseverance Rover on March 30, 2021, the 39th day of Mars, or sol, of the mission. (Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS)

If the first flight is successful, other tests will be performed, with Velocity trying to go a little higher and further each time. NASA says such helicopters could help astronauts with future search and collection sessions.

NASA recently released photos of perseverance and ingenuity. The space agency described one of the photos as a ‘selfie’. It showed the rover and helicopter sitting on the rocky surface of Mars.

The rover was able to capture the selfie with his robot arm, with a camera at the end. NASA said the image was made of 62 individual images that were compiled as soon as they were sent back to Earth.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story to learn English, based on reports from NASA, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Mario Ritter, Jr., was the editor.

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Words in this story

battery – n. a device that is placed in a machine to supply it with electricity

milestone – a. an important point in the progress or development of something

isolation – n. a material used to prevent heat, cold, sound or electricity from escaping or penetrating

rotor – n. a part of a rotating machine, in particular the device supporting the rotating brake of a helicopter

microbes – adj. with regard to microbes (very small living things)

mission – a. the flight of a spacecraft to perform a task or work

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